Vehicle resilient wheel



` l .I A 1,645,626 oct. 18,1927. RLJJPAGE A I I VEHICLE RES'ILIENT WHEEL Filed March 16, 1925 by my@ @V7/@GMW Patented Oct. 18, 1927.`

Lama Y'RriGi'iviiLn'-Joir'ivrama, or roivsoNBY, anoianann, irri-vr arenaria.

-` VEHICLE nnerniniv'rfwiinnn.

Application 1ed`iMa'i-'ch '16,41925,"Seria1 No. 16,043, Vand. n- New :Zealandctober 8, 1924.

This invention relates to road vehicle Wheels 'of the semipneumatic type wherein it is claimed that the' easy riding qualities of the pneumaticl tyre are obtained along With-thenon-puncturable qualities of the solid rubber tyre. i

-The pretent invention has forits object theprovision of an. improved construction of Wheel ofthe aforesaid type, and wherein the qualities or advantages above mentioned areobtained"with the added advantages that the tread portion of the Wheel is capable of being renewed as required, ordinary pneumatic tyre covers are easily adapted for use thereon, the Walls of the air chambers are secure against puncture, andincreased refiliency is obtained. f

The'niain feature ofthe invention consists .in providing a vehicle 'road Wheel which has fitted around an .unyielding central portion, an annular member of resilient material containing vair pockets, said annular member having iitted to its 4periphery areinovable and unpuncturable tread portion.

The annular member of resilient material containing the air poclrets and the removable tread portion are held in position by plates adapted'to be bolted together through the central unyielding 'portion of the Wheel, said plates being provided with grooves or 'recesses foi: permitting distortion of the resilient annular member under the Weight of the load borne by the Wheel.

In'order that the invention may bemore readily understood it Will be further de scribed With the aid of the accompanying drawing, Whereinz- Y Figure 1 is across sectional elevation of the improv-ed Wheel,

Figure 2 is a part sectional elevation and part side elevation of the'ivheel, and

' Figure 3 is ka part cross sectional elevation of the tyre, resilient lilling and annular member, showing the method employed of passingbolts through the outer edges of the discs yto-hold the latter against side or out- -ivards pressure. l

The Wheel comprises a. circular plate or Adisc 1 provided at its centre, and on its iniieiface, .with a boss 2 which is recessed or boredto. receive suitableroller bearings 3- adapted. to be passed :uponan -aXle 4 of aroad vehicle. AIn the case of a front Wheel of a veliicle as shown inthe. accompanying drawing, the laxle 4 is fixed or stationary, and the Wheel is adapted to rotate freely around the sameon the roller bearings 3. Vhere it is desired tousefthe- Wheel on a rear or drivhigaxle of a vehicle, the said wheel can be keyed or otherwise secured on such l axle as required. Y p

vA Washer 5` passed on the end of the axle l and a suitable nut 6 screwed on the latter -hold the bearings Sand complete-'Wheel assembly in position on the axle.

A circu-lariiange-' formed integral with the disc or plate *.1 and projecting vfromv the saine face of the lattery as the Lboss 2, is located lconcentrically With'and around said boss, `but some distance' from the edge of thedisc 1. Y

A number of radial Webs 8 are formed tween the flange 7 and the periphery of the y boss 2 in order to support said flange 7 and strengthen the latter in order to enable it to resist strains imposed on its periphery.

in annular member 9 formed of resilient material such as sponge rubber or thelike,

passedl around yand tits neatly on theperiphery of theflange 7, ivliile-an'endless band or belt 14 of leather is fitted around lthe outer surface Vof l the annular resilient -meiiiber 9 to protectthe latter.

.une member 9 is preferably rectangular' in cross section in order that it Will lie closely .against the face-of the circular' plate orl disc land upon the periphery of the flange i, and contains a'plurality of pockets or paces 10, adapted to contain air under pressure.

A further rcircular plate ordisc 11 having the saine diameter as the disc 1 is formed with arcentral opening to-pass upon` the outer end 'of'.the boss 2, when the said disc 11 is drawn against and held in Contact with the outer faces of the `fiange 7 and annular member 9 by means of bolts `12 passed through the disc 1, flange 7 and disc 11, and

means of nuts 13 screwed on said bolts 12 outside the last mentioned disc.

Y The outer edgesiofboth the discs 1 and v11 extend a short. distance beyondthe leather `cover 15`and is extended inwardly! and completely around its inner periphery to proica ly opposite lthe annular resilient member 9 held loetiveen said discs and around 'the tlangeV 7, provide spaces into which the said member 9 can expand sideways upon its hjo- Aing` ceinl'iressed between the yielding tread portion and the unyielding central portion ot the Wheel.

in outwardly turned 'flange 18 formed around the central opening of the disc 11,

is screw threaded externally to receive an internally Yscrew threaded cap 19 VYWhich is `Y adapted to close such central opening and preventA the passagel ot dust, dirt nand the like into the beari s 3 through the open outer end oi the boss Y in action, minor road shocls or 'jars are absorbed by the resilient iilling 16 oiE the tyre oever 15 `While the more violent shoclts or are transn'iitted togrthe annular resilient member 9 causing fthe latter to be distorted and expanded sideways. This resilientV member 9, by reason of the air under pressure :in its pockets 10, is extremely resilient and is adapted on presser@ being applied to its outer surface through the tyre coveri 1K5. and lilling 16 thereof tegV be compr ed between the latter and the lange T which supports it, the annular grooves or recesses 17 in the discs 1 and 11 permitting side expansion' or" vsaid member 9, whereby the leiter absorbs any shoclrs or jars and preventstheir transmission to the vehicle axle a.

The leather band -or belt 141 is provided between the tyre .tilling 15 and the resilient meniber V9 in? order to prevent wear ot the lzuite. by friction produced by creeping' ot the tyre arotnid the Wheel, andalso to provide a proteetive cover on the outer surface ot aid resilient member 9 through `which the pr sage of any foreign boda,7 picked up by the tyre trom the read surtace, is rendered ditlicult. t 't' 'lhe'xvheel can be dismounted by removing the cap 19 and unscreiving the nut 6 Whereupon the Whole Wheel can he drawn'ofirl the axle e? -lVhen it is desired to merely inspect the annular resilient member 9 or to reneiv the tyre cover 15, the nuts 1 are unscrexved Jfrom the bolts 1Q, and the disc 11 together with the cap 19 screwed thereon is reinoved, to expose such parts and facilitate their ren moral Vor replacement.

It desired, bolts 21 can be passed through theV discs 1 and 11 near their edges and provided outside the former disc with nuts 22, whereby any tendency of the said discs 1 and 11 to spring apart at their edges due to side pressure ot' the resilient member 9 or tyre lilling 16 may be preifented.' Vihen iannular Vprojections or tlanges Y27 formed ne inner 'faces ot the discs 1 and 11 near nutenV edges are adapted to limit-; or rest ict the inward compressing movement e tyre filling 15 on the resilient member lOuld the pockets 10 in the latter ted, said filling 16 will not be pressed inwards beyond said projection or flanges, and the Wheel may be continued in use, the reY iency et the tyre filling 16 preventing any such damage to the Wheel as 1ivould occur through ruiming on deflated or punctured pnetnatic tyre. e

The air pockets'l() in the :resilient meniber 9 can be plac l in communication with one another by means oigan air passagetQ/lY 'Formed throiiigh the member 9, and one ot the pockets 10 can be proyided With a suitableair valve 25 adapted to project through the ilange 7 into the spacebetween the latter and the boss f et the utheel, means being provided in the disc 11 as at 26, udierebythe air hose oi' a pump or the like be intreduced within the wheel and ccnnected to the` valve 25 when it is desiredto lill the pocltets lOwith air under pressuihe.

B5; reason olf the tact that the air tiiled poclgets 10 in the member9 are located ata considerable distance tronrthe road surf it ig extremely unlikely that there Woulc anygpossibility or" thev same being punct by any oragn body lying on such road suriace, while'the resilient member 9 acting in conjunction with the resilient tyre filling 16 ot the tyre 15 provides an extremely resilient and easy riding Wheel.

lllliat l: do claiiijL and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the United States ot' America is i@ A A road vehicle ivheel, cbmprising, an annular inner compressible member, air pockets in the member, aA removable tire surrounding the inner member, a rigid central portion within the inner member, side plates it'or the wheel one ot which is connected with the central portion, outwardly bovved recesses in the plates positioned to permit out- Ward distortion of the inner member'.

1n testimony whereof have signed my nameto this specification. REGNALD JOHNPAGE.

lllll llo 

